Why Do I Avoid Reviewing My Past Trades, Even Though I Know It's Essential for Growth?

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"Growth in trading is not about always making the right moves — it’s about learning from the wrong ones."

🍀 The Paradox of Avoiding Self-Reflection

Trading is a journey, and like any journey, it involves making mistakes, learning, and improving. Yet, despite knowing how important it is to review past trades for growth, many traders still avoid doing it.

The truth is, self-reflection is uncomfortable. It’s easier to avoid facing mistakes than to confront them directly. But what we often forget is that growth comes from acknowledging those mistakes — from learning what went wrong and using that knowledge to improve our strategy.

🧠 Why Do We Avoid Reviewing Our Trades?

• Fear of Confronting Mistakes: It’s difficult to face failure head-on, especially when it affects our ego. Acknowledging poor trades or poor decisions feels like admitting weakness.
• Emotional Attachment to Wins: When you win, the thrill of success can cloud your judgment, making it easy to skip over the review process. After all, "if it worked, why fix it?"
• Lack of Time or Discipline: With the fast-paced nature of trading, reviewing every trade can seem time-consuming. It’s easier to jump to the next opportunity rather than take a step back.
• Fear of Repetition: Traders often avoid reviewing trades because they fear that facing their mistakes will only remind them of past failures. The fear is that they’ll make the same mistakes again.

🎛️ The Cognitive Dissonance of Not Reviewing

We all want to believe we’re getting better with each trade. Cognitive dissonance occurs when there’s a gap between our actions and beliefs. In this case, we know reviewing our trades is necessary for growth, but we avoid it because it’s uncomfortable.

This gap creates mental tension — we want to improve, but our avoidance of reviewing trades hinders that growth.

⚽ Let Me Tell You a Story…

Imagine a soccer player who never watches footage of their past games. They rely solely on their instincts for every match, never analyzing what worked or what didn’t. Eventually, they hit a plateau.

Now, imagine a player who, after every game, watches the footage, analyzes their movements, and works with a coach to improve. This player is consistently improving and refining their skills.

💸 The Cost of Avoiding Self-Review

The trader who avoids reviewing past trades is like the soccer player who never watches game footage. They might feel they’re improving, but they are missing out on valuable insights that could help them avoid future mistakes and capitalize on their strengths.

🎬 The Key to Growth: Embrace the Review Process

Successful traders don’t avoid looking back. They know that the only way to improve is to assess what worked and what didn’t. Here’s how you can make reviewing your trades a regular habit:

• Create a Trading Journal: Write down every trade, including what you did right and what you could improve. This forces you to reflect on the entire process.
• Set Time Aside: Schedule weekly or monthly reviews. Don’t let trading become an endless loop of chasing profits — give yourself time to look back.
• Look for Patterns: By reviewing your trades, you’ll begin to see patterns in your decisions. This will help you understand your behavior and adjust accordingly.

🧘 Overcoming the Fear of Self-Reflection

To break the cycle of avoiding trade reviews, you need to shift your mindset. Viewing self-reflection as a tool for growth instead of a reminder of failure will change your perspective. Here are some tips:

• Start small: Begin with a few trades at a time. You don’t need to review every trade at once.
• Be objective: Don’t judge yourself harshly. Analyze the trade without letting emotions cloud your judgment.
• Celebrate improvements: When you notice yourself improving, celebrate those wins. This will keep you motivated to keep reviewing.

💡 Takeaway: Embrace the Growth Process

Self-reflection is not just a necessary part of trading; it’s the key to becoming a better trader. The more you embrace the discomfort of reviewing your past trades, the faster you will grow. Every mistake is a lesson, and each lesson brings you closer to mastery.

Are you ready to review your trades and embrace the growth process? Start today by setting aside time to look back at your recent trades. You’ll be amazed at how much you can learn from them.

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For more trading insights, follow me on X (@SeunForex) and YouTube (@SeunForex).

Check out my latest post on Why Is It So Challenging to Maintain Mental Clarity and Focus in Trading?